Planter.



8. I. WALP.

PLANTER.

APPLIICATION FILED MAR. 14. um.

mamm v Patented May4,1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l- S. T. WALP.

PLANTER.

-APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14. 1914.

Patented May 4, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

, I IIMN Z5 33 Attorneys S. T. WALP.

PLANTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14, 1914.

Patented May 4, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- Inventor Witnesse Attorneys Maw-Wm SHERMAN I. WALIE,Q1? SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

FLANTER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SHERMAN T. VVALP, a citizen of the United States,residing at Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, haveinvented a new and useful Planter, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to planters, one of its'objects being to provideimproved means whereby the seeds can be dropped at predeterminedintervals without the use of a check wire.

A further object is to provide means'constantly under the control of thedriver by means of which the dropping mechanism connected to either ofthe seed boxes of the planter can be thrown out of operative relationwith its drive mechanism.

A further object is to provide means operated by the supporting wheelsof the planter whereby seeds may first be dropped to points near theground and subsequently dropped into the ground, thus allowing the seedsto be dropped accurately at the points desired.

\Vith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understoodthat changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawings :Figure is a plan view of a two row planter having thepresent improvements combined therewith. Fig. 2'is a side elevationthereof, certain of the parts being shown in section. Fig. 3 is anenlarged vertical longitudinal section through one of the seed boxes andthe parts thereunder. Fig. 4 is a section on line A-B Fig. 1. Fig. 5 isa section online CD Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a section on line EF Fig. 3, saidsection being taken solely through the bottom portion of one of the seedboxes. Fig. 7 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the powertransmitting pitmen and its connection with the arm of the droppingplate. Fig. 8 is an enlarged rear elevation of the tappets and theiradjusting levers. Fig. 9 a side elevation of a portion of the structure.v

Referringto the figures by characters of Specification of LettersPatent.

reference 1 designates a substantially U- Patented May a, 1915. 1;

Application filed March 14, 1914. Serial No. 824,783.

shaped frame to the front ends or terminals of-which is connected across bar 2 mounted for rotation within eyes 3 formed at the terminalsof the frame 1. An axle 4 extends under the frame 1 and is mounted forrota.- tion in bearings 5 depending from the sides of the frame. Thisaxle is supported by wheels 6 to which marking plates 7 may be secured,these plates being adapted to dig into the soil and mark off the hills.

The drivers seat is indicated at 8, the same. being supported by therear portion of the frame 1 and extending transversely of and journaledupon the frame 1 at points in front of the seat is a shaft 9 having alever 10 provided with any suitable means, such as a pawl 11 forengaging a toothed segment 12 fixedly mounted upon one side oftheframe 1. Thus it will be seen that shaft 9 can be rotated readily andcan be secured in any position to which it may be moved.

Depending from the shaft 9 is aradial arm 13 connected by a link 14 toan arm 15 extending rearwardly from the draft tongue I 16, this drafttongue being secured to the bar 2 at the center thereof. Another bar isfixedly connected at its center to the draft tongue 16, this bar beingindicated at 17 and being parallel with the bar 2. Side strips 18 areextended under the ends of the.

bar 2 and are provided, at their forward ends with eyes 19 into whichextend the ends of the bar 17. Bearing straps 20 are secured to the sidestrips 18 and the ends of the bar 2 project into these bearing straps asshown particularly in Fig. 3. The front end of a runner 21 is secured toeach strip 18, the

runners being1 curved downwardly and rearwardly and aving their rearends forked,

as shown at 22, the sides of each forked portion being connected by aninverted yoke 23. A speed spout 24 extends through the yoke 23 andupwardly to the bottom of the rear portion of strip 18 thereabove, therebeing an opening 25 in the strip and which discharges into the spout 24.The rear portion of each of the strips-18 is enlarged so as to tom 29and journaled on this pin so as to rotate within the recess 29 is acircular dropping plate 33having a radial arm 34 extending through aslot 35 formed in the inner side of the false bottom 28. The plate 33has an opening 36 which is normally in register with the opening 31 butnormally out of registerwith the openings 25.

Secured to the sides of frame 1 are bearings 37 in which is journaled atransverse rock shaft 38 having upwardly extending .radial arms 39. Eachof these arms is connected to a pitman 40 having a forked end 41 whichembraces the adjacent arm 34. A lever 42 is fulcrumed on the pitman 40,and carries a coupling pin 48 at one end adapted to extend through theforked terminal 41 and through the arm 34, thus to pivotally connect thearm 34 to the pitman 40. A spring 44 is interposed between lever 42 andpitman 40 so as to hold the pivot pin 43 normally seated in engagementwith the arm 34. Obviously by depressing the spring pressed end of lever42, the pivot pin 43 can be withdrawn from arm 34, thus permitting. aquick uncoupling of the parts to be effected.

Extending inwardly from one side of the frame 1 are brackets 45 andslidably mounted in these brackets are parallel rods 46 and 47. The rod46 is pivotally connected to a longitudinally slotted arm 48 extendingupwardly from the rock shaft 38 and headjustably connected to saidslotted armin any well known manner, as by means of a pivot boltadjustably clamped to the slotted arm. The other rod 47 is likewiseadjustably and pivotally connected to a longitudinally slot-ted arm 49extending upwardly from a rock shaft 50 which is journaled in bearings51 extending rearwardly' from the side strips 18. Projecting forwardlyfrom the rock-shaft 50 adjacent each end thereof is an arm 52 andpivotally connected to each of these arms 52 is the upper end of a rod53 slidably mounted within an opening 54 in yoke 83, there being acut-off plate at the lower end of rod 53 and adapted to close the lowerend of the spout 24, as shown in Fig.

A coiled spring 56 is mounted on each rod 46 and 47, one end ofthespring bearing against one bracket 45 while the other or rear endof'the spring is. attached to the rod on which it'is mounted.Consequently the springs operate to hold the rods pressed normallyrearwardly. Thus it will be seen that the arms 34 are normally drawnrearwardly to the rear end of the slot 35 while the cut-ofl plates 55are normally raised against the lower ends of the spouts 24.

Feathered on the axle 4 are sleeves 57 and 58, sleeve 57 being formedwith opposed radial tappet fingers 59 while sleeve 58 has opposedradialtapped fingers 60, the fingers 60 being extended at right angles to thefingers 59. A cross bar 61 is mounted on frame 1 and secured to thiscross bar is a lever 62 the lower end of which is connected, by a link63, to a ring 64 extending around'the sleeve 58. Another lever 65 issupported close to one side of frame 1 and is connected by a link 66 toa ring 67 extending around the other sleeve 57. Both levers 62 and 65have notched segments 68 for engagement by spring pressed pawl's 69carried by the levers. Thus it will be seen that the levers can belocked in any positions to which they 1 may be adjusted. The tappets areso arranged that, when they are in their active positions, the fingers59 will move successively against the rear end of rod 46 while thefingers 60 will move successively against I A lever 70 is fulcrumed onthe cross bar 61 and has an arm 71 extending forwardly from its lowerend, this arm being connected by a link 72 to a rod 72' connecting arms73 which are mounted to swing upon the axle 4. These arms 73 have legs74 depending therefrom. By shifting lever 70 forwardly, legs 74 can becaused to press against the ground, thus to lift the planter and allowthe wheels 6 and the marking plates 7 to be rotated 4 until the markingplates have been brought to desired positions relative to the ground.This arrangement is particularly desirable where the planter is beingstarted at the end of a row and it is necessary to arrange the marker 7so that it will aline with the marks previously formed. The lever 70 maybe provided with a pawl 75 for engaging a toothed segment 76 whereby thelever 7 0 and the legs 74 may be secured in any position to which theymay be adjusted.

In using the machine the boxes 26 are filled with seeds and with thesleeves 57 and 58 in their normal positions, asshown in Fig. 8, themachine is driven forward over the field to be planted. Axle 4 is causedto rotate and the sleeves referred to will also rotate. One of thefingers 59 will push against the rod 46 and cause it to rock the shaft38. Consequently the dropping plate 33 will be rotated. As some of theSeeds" deposited in the box will gravitate through opening 31 and intoopening 36, it will be apparent that this rotation of the dropping plate33 will result in the conveyance of the seeds within opening 36 to theopening 25' into which they will gravitate, thus sliding downwardlywithin the spout 24 and dropping onto the plate 55. As soon as thetappet finger 59 has moved past the rod 46, the

spring on said rod will return it and the dropping plate to theirinitial'positions.

Immediately subsequent to the actuation of the dropping plate in themanner set forth, one of the tappet fingers 60 will move against the endof rod 47 and shift the rod longitudinally against the action of itsspring. This will result in rocking shaft 50 and causing arm 52 to swingdownwardly. Consequently plate 55 will move downwardly away from thelower end of the spout 2i and the seed previously deposited on saidplate will drop the short distance necessary to the ground. As soon asthe tappet finger has passed away from rod 47 the spring on said rodwill return the various parts to their initial positions.

It will be seen that by providing mechanism such as herein described,the seeds are given an initial drop through the long distance from theseed boxes to the cut-off plates and, at the proper time, are re leasedfrom the spout 24;. As the seeds only fall short distances from thespout it will be seen that they Will be accurately placed in the ground.

By means of the lever 13, the arm 15 can be swung: downwardly with bar 2as its fulcrum, thus causing the bar 17 and side strips 18 to swingabout the bar 2. This will, result in the lowering, of the front cndofframe 1 and consequently will cause the runners to dig farther into thesoil. By reversing the movement of the parts the runners will beelevatedout of contact with the ground. By shifting lever 62, sleeve 58can be moved out of active relation with the rod 47 and, by means oflever 65, the sleeve 57 and its tappet fingers can be shifted out ofactive position. Thus it will be seen that the dropping of the seeds isalways under the control of the operator.

As before stated, should it be desired to reset the wheels 6 on whichthe marking plates 7 are secured, it is merely necessary to lift therear portion of the planter by means of a jack made up of legs 74 andoperating parts whereupon said wheels can be rotated Without shiftingthe planter forwardly or rearwardly.

l/Vhat is claimed is 1. In a planter, the combination with a seed feed,a seed spout, and means for closing" the seed spout at its lower end, ofa revoluble axle, separate tappet devices revoluble therewith, andseparate spring controlled mechanisms operated by the respective tappetdevices for actuating the seed feed and the spout closing meansrespectively, said mechanisms being adjustably connected to the seedfeed and spout closing means to vary the operative relation thereof.

2. The combination With a seed feed, a seed spout, and a closure at thelower end of the spout, of separate rock shafts, radial arms extendingtherefrom, connections between the respective arms and the seed feed andclosure respectively, longitudinally slotted arms extending from therespective rock shafts, spring controlled rods slidably mounted, eachrod being pivotally connected to one of the slotted arms and beingadjustable along said arms toward or from its rock shaft, an axlemounted for rotation, sci'iarate tappets thereon, means for couplingeither of said tappets to the axle, each tappct constituting means forpressing against and actuating one of the rods.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have heretoall'ixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

SHERMAN T. WVALP.

Witnesses:

C. C. JENKINS, GEORGE S. RAUP.

